Love after Life
by Sleepy robin
Summary: Not sure how to describe this story, I'll let you decide?


_**Love after Life.**_

The young man sat in his late father's study. Though the day had been long and full of stress, it been a nice, simple funeral, if funerals could ever be described as "nice". He sat back in the comfortable leather chair behind his desk, and even though he was in his mid twenties, he felt small in it. He knew Important Things had to be taken care of, however, today he just didn't have the heart to start sorting it all out. Maybe tomorrow. And while he sat there, feeling somewhat lost and alone, he still excepted to see his father come through those doors at any moment.

When he was a kid, he'd sat in this room for hours on end, reading or quietly playing. His father, however busy, would still look over at him from time to time and share a smile. Though a very private man, he always had time for his son, and he always felt loved by the imposing man, which was surprising as he knew he had barely tolerated his mother's presence. He sometimes would catch a faraway look in his father's eyes, when a melancholy aura overtook him at certain times of the year.

A tear escaped down his cheek. He would miss that proud, irreverent man.

He was looking over his father's books, mostly first editions or limited prints, when he noticed tucked down the side of one shelf was an old dog-eared paperback. He thumbed through it, noticing a few paragraphs here and there that had been underlined. As he was about to close the book, a small envelope fell out onto the floor.

 _ **To my dearest Akihito,**_

 _ **I have been a selfish, cruel man, and I am sorry for all the times I hurt you. I need you to understand that you have always been the only one. The one who gave me joy. The one who gave me passion. The one who brought me laughter. The one who brought light to my darkness with your spirit so bright, so shinning. The one who gave me love, unreservedly, and that is how I have loved you.**_

 _ **I will love you, my Akihito, through eternity.**_

 _ **Your Ryuichi.**_

There was also a ring inside, a man's wedding band with the word 'Mine' inscribed on its inner surface. He read and reread the letter, a hundred thoughts darting through his mind. As he held the ring in his hand, his main question was this: who was this Akihito? As his father lay dying, his last word had been "Akihito". He had thought his father had been speaking to him, but it was obvious now it was whomever he had been named for. Knowing that left him with a twist in his gut, a feeling of being abandoned.

He felt a cool breeze on his cheek, even though he knew it was too early in the year to have the windows open. He blinked, and felt it again, as if someone had caressed his face to soothe him, wiping away another stray tear. He started to feel a quiet urge inside him, a wistful longing inside his heart to find him, his namesake. But, where to start…? A small memory flitted into his mind: he remembered his father talk about an old friend who was once his personal secretary when he still ran Sion. Maybe he should start there.

Kirishima welcomed him into his home, studying the younger man in his library as they chatted, waiting to be served tea. He was a little older than his father had been when they had first met, and his hair was dark auburn rather than black. His face had hints of his mother in it, but the build, the eyes and the attitude were all his father.

As was his appeal, judging from the numerous times his barely teenaged granddaughters had passed by the hallway door, peeking in as they went by. Kirishima smiled sadly, thinking back to all those years and all the exploits Asami, Suoh and he had together, from taking over their first yakuza clan through building Sion. He and young Asami sat, talking about the older Asami's recent past before his untimely illness and passing. He then talked about his discovery after the funeral, and his coming here to see if his father's oldest friend had any information about the man that he was named after.

Kirishima, in turn, told him about the boy who had captured first his father's attention, then his heart. About the mad chases and wild escapes the two had engaged in until an embittered enemy stole the boy away to Hong Kong, and how his father, though injured and not at his full strength, still went and brought the young man back to Japan with him. Soon after that, they had lived together for seven years, until his father, being a little more than a decade older than his lover, started thinking of the future of the business he had grown from nothing, and his burgeoning wish to leave his empire to his progeny.

His young man learned about this, and decided to make the decision for his lover, and left. Asami had spent time searching for his lover, then spent more time waiting for his young man to come back to him, until one day, the unthinkable happened, and one of their trio, Suoh, died protecting the elder Asami. At that point, Asami accepted that if he wanted a legitimate heir, he would have to marry. A marriage was brokered with an important business ally's daughter, and Asami Akihito was born. After no other children were conceived, and tiring of his "wife's" demands and self centered ways, he ended their marriage, paid her to go away and limited her access to his only child. After that he had semi retired from actively running Sion's day to day business, choosing to work from home and care for his son.

After that, their contact became less frequent, and other than occasional emails, birthday greetings and holiday cards, they rarely talked, choosing to concentrate on their respective families. He had received the odd update from Asami-sama's lover, called Takaba Akihito, saying that he was taking jobs as a photo journalist, travelling around the world for his stories. He had met a woman about twenty years ago and settled down with her, having a child of his own.

Taking up the reins of his father's empire was both challenging and time consuming, but after he had toppled a rival family's multigenerational business, broke it up and sold it off piece by piece for a remarkable profit, the whispered concerns of whether or not he was half the man his father was were silenced, and he could concentrate in his spare time on finding this other Akihito. More than two years had passed, but his diligent sleuthing had finally paid off, and he stood now in front of a medical care residence. He had not wanted his desire to meet the man who had such a hold on his father's heart to be refused, so he had forgone the usual courtesy of reaching out to him and his family, and had just shown up.

Suddenly unsure of himself, he forestalled the visit by turning around and going over to a coffee shop a few stores away and got an espresso. As he sat at the outdoor cafè table, wondering if this Akihito would even want to see him, he suddenly felt subject to a very intense stare. Used to this kind of annoyance, he sent out a very "Don't. Even. Bother." vibe and went back to thinking about his dilemma when there was the sudden scrape of metal against sidewalk, and someone sat down in the chair across from him. As he looked up in surprise, he was struck by the combination of sandy blond hair, a grin that made it plain its owner loved a challenge and the most beautiful clear blue eyes he had ever seen.

They sat and comfortably chatted for a while. The Asami heir didn't know how or why, but suddenly he's blurting out everything about his father and the letter. His companion sat quietly listening, then suddenly stood up. The next thing young Asami knew, he was being pulled into the medical care building, hauled down a warren of corridors, then pushed through an open door into a cheerfully lit room. The young man who dragged him there called out to the older man sitting up in bed reading, saying "Hey, Dad, I have a visitor you'll want to meet. May I introduce..."

"Asami... " alert blue eyes stared as a quiet voice breathed out the long unspoken name.

"Yeah Dad, but not the one you told me about. This is Asami Akihito, his son." The room fell quiet, then Takaba slowly grinned, like soft light breaking through a bank of clouds. He welcomed the young man in and offered him a seat by his bed as his son perched on his mattress.

The younger Asami started telling them about his life with his father, finding the letter and how talking to Kirishima had helped to lead him to this room. Akihito kept rapt attention on this younger version of the man he loved, the differences in his personality and facial expressions triggering bittersweet comparisons, the similarities bringing back all the fond memories.

He produced the letter and the ring, and watched the elder Takaba tentatively touch it, as if he thought the paper might suddenly crumple to ashes at his touch. Both young men waited as the old man read the letter and smiled, folding it back into its envelope and tucking it into his shirt pocket, then holding the wedding band and wordlessly slip the ring onto his thin, worn finger.

The young Takaba turned to Asami and bowed, with a cheeky grin. "I'm sorry, but I didn't introduce myself properly. My name's Takaba. Takaba Ryuichi" he said, just to be rewarded with a quiet breath sucked in, and then a rumble of laughter that he found rather... enticing.

"It's such a nice day today, let's continue this outside, you two. Would you take me out to my favorite spot in the garden, son? And mind the skatepark tricks with my wheelchair. Don't want to give Asami's boy a heart attack first trip out."

Akihito sat in the morning sun under an old cherry tree in full bloom. He had asked his boy to get him his favourite drink, and Asami's son had gone with him. As he read the letter again, a few tears and cherry petals mixed together as they fell onto the paper. He felt a warm breeze blow comfortingly about him, like two arms gently pulling him up and enwrapping him in a familiar embrace he hadn't felt in far too long.

"If I could, I'd wish I hadn't hurt you as much as I did, my Akihito."

"Liar, you enjoyed tormenting me."

"True. However, I do wish you had never left me."

"I had to go. You would have resented me if I'd stayed. You know this, Ryu."

"Never you."

"Yes, you would've. You wanted an heir and I couldn't give you one."

"I wanted you, Akihito. I always will."

"We had a very ardent, intense seven years together, who could ask for more? I think we were lucky."

A comfortable silence descended as they melted into each other's arms. They both watched their children talk, chuckle, even flirt a little as they walked with the drinks back towards the bench where Takaba was.

"Your son is very handsome. Takes after you."

"So does yours. They seem to be getting along rather well. My Akihito, I've missed you so very much."

"Mm, yeah..."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"What else is there to say, you've always known how l felt about you."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me, my cute Akihito."

"I… love you. Bastard."

"My kitten."

"Hopefully our boys will have a better relationship then we did."

"Akihito, shh. Come."

When the young men arrived back under the tree, they found the older Takaba had passed away gently, a sweet smile on his lips, making him look younger, almost carefree.

After a private interval, the younger Ryuichi reached out to Asami, asking the auburn-haired man if he could inter the elder Akihito's remain with his father, to which the auburn man agreed. When enquiries were made with the family lawyers about how they should proceed, they found out that the elder Asami had already made that preparation with his estate.

"You cocky asshole!" (angry hiss, accompanied by a glare)

"Don't I have a right to be?" (deep chuckle)

"I don't want to spend eternity with you now, you mean, obnoxious prick."

"Yes you do, kitten. What's wrong with wanting you on top of me forever..." (dark purr)

"You unbelievably horny bastard!" (scandalized gasp)

"My sweet, sexy kitten." (softly cooing like a sinful caress)

"Smug asshole."

"My sultry, feisty, naughty boy."

"Shut up! Ugh, fine, you win." (stormy pout, answered by an adoring smirk)

"I have to, you are simply too precious to ever lose again."

"Smooth talker."

"Always."

"Argh!"

"Akihito, kiss me."

After completing the elder Takaba's funeral, both the auburn and sandy haired men were clearing up the original Akihito's effects, when they stumbled upon Takaba's journals. Young Ryuichi turned so red his ears burned as Akihito found it amusing to read him some of the more erotic entries, smirking at all the horrified groans and embarrassed grimaces they caused the younger man.

More than a few of those chapters would give the authors of the Karma Sutra a complex. It was very detailed, every caress, every kiss, every gasp was described in detail, all seven years of their fathers' amorous affair. No one would have believed that two people from such different worlds could share a love that could burn so brightly, and had lasted so long.

After some time had passed, the two young men's relationship became more intimate. Their romance, while different then their fathers, was just as deep and consuming. They decided together to publish the memoirs (after one cajoled and manipulated until the other one capitulated and submitted), and to their mixed reactions (one reacting with amused pride, the other with incredulous mortification), it stayed on the Publishers Best Sellers List for over eighteen months.

I can't believe they published my diaries!" (wailing as he's holding his head in his hands) "This... Somehow, this is all your doing!" (pointing an accusatory finger at his beloved)

"Akihito, how could I possibly do anything?" (devilish smirk, with evil glints in his golden eyes)

"Oh yeah? Then why do you look so smug. You did this, I just know it."

"You didn't need to write our affaire de coeur on paper; was it your flapping material for later in life? Or just to keep as a reminder in case you got dementia?"

"Bastard. Why do I have to spend my afterlife with you."

"Over 2 million copies sold. And don't scowl. You chose this, remember. And I, for one, am glad everyone can read about our passionate trysts. When we are all but forgotten, those stories will live on, my beautiful Akihito."

"Knowing you, it got published just so future generations would know what an great lay you were. Egotistical jerk." Asami chuckled as he embraced his Akihito, holding him tightly, kissing his neck. Akihito surrendered himself to the love that radiated from the other soul.

"An eternity of this is a small price..." the kiss was deep, long and slow.

"I love you, you bastard."

"And I love you, my kitten."

Akihito and Ryuichi's love would now live on forever.

The End.


End file.
